Do you have a FAMILY TRAVEL CONSULTANT?

Do you have a family doctor or a family lawyer? If you do then why not plan to get a travel consultant who can advise and plan your holiday year-on-year and balance the right experiences based on your time, interests and budgets. What holds you back from having your family travel consultant? And what better time than when the end of the year or even beginning of the new year so that you can rely on a travel consultant and his expertise in chalking out the best holiday ideas for you all year round?

Why do you take a holiday?

You do so to take a break from the mundane, to bond with family or friends and to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city. Your corporate travel needs are taken care of by your travel agent who is a specialist in his own right. However, when it comes to planning a holiday, it is important to identify the specialist who knows about the destinations you intend visiting and is able to understand your requirements to plan that memorable holiday for you as and when you want to take a break.

So who can be your FAMILY TRAVEL CONSULTANT?

It could be someone who possesses the 5 Cs – Caring, Communication, Confidence , Creativity and Customization

CARING – He should understand your needs and take time to know why this holiday is essential. Unfortunately, most travel agents you meet ask you a question which has actually changed your priorities from choosing the right agent to choosing the one who can offer you the best deal. I wonder whether you would make the same decision in hiring a doctor or a lawyer? The one who is the cheapest or offering the best deal may not necessarily be the best.

COMMUNICATION – An effective travel consultant is the one who communicates and informs you what is best for you even though you may have an itinerary or plan recommended by friends who have been to a particular place. If the travel consultant has first hand knowledge and shares his experience of how to plan the best itinerary given your time and limitations, you must be receptive to accepting his advice. It is essential to trust the judgement of your Travel Consultant as he is an expert in his own way

CONFIDENCE – This comes from the work he has done. If a travel consultant is willing to share his experiences of travel and give tips which goes beyond issuing of tickets, transfers and sightseeing and gives you details of safety, shopping, dining and some local interesting experiences which you may not find a guide book, it would make your holiday all the more memorable. I remember to advise my clients of the amazing Burmese restaurant when they go to Christchurch or possibly visiting a Sirince Village when they are on the Aegean coast of Turkey.

CREATIVITY – This is one of the key attributes your Family Travel Consultant should have. He should be able to match the right profile of customers with the experiences they want in each destination and add the WOW factor to your holiday. As a potential traveller too, you must be receptive to the value adds since you may not be visiting the same place again for a long time. So why not get the best and experience the best. If you spend 2000 US Dollars on a trip and you happen to see an amazing concert which may cost a 100 USD more, it is well worth spending those extra dollars. Your travel consultant is the one who should look out for events and experiences happening at the time you travel and suggest you to add the experience. Creativity is one of the keys to convert an ordinary holiday to an extra ordinary one.

CUSTOMIZATION – If you are asked to get into a bus full of strangers, each one from a different background culturally with varied interests, you know that your holiday is likely to be a roller-coaster ride. Instead if you do opt for a customized holiday and your travel agent can offer you one, you can pick and choose what you like and leave aside things you wish to avoid. This is a true test of your travel consultant who can help identify who all are travelling with you, what their interests and needs are and include it in the itinerary. If you have kids coming along, places that appeal to them should be fitted in. If you don’t appreciate museums, instead you prefer adventure, then locations which offer adventure activities should be part of your holiday programme. Customization is a hallmark of a true travel consultant. If you are looking for customization leave it to the experts rather than booking online.

As individuals, most of our life is pretty structured – you want the best school for your kids, you want to dine in the best of restaurants and at times even pay an exorbitant price. You want to go to a multiplex to watch a movie in great comfort. Financially, you plan your savings taking help of an investment advisor. Medically you seek advice of the best doctors to find long term cure to recurring problems. And what keeps your life running is a good and well planned holiday. Then why not have a good reliable Travel Consultant? Is it worthwhile to cut corners when you spend six figures on a holiday and you are travelling with family and friends as well? So make a resolution for the coming year that you will identify a Family Travel Consultant and I am sure you will identify the 5 Cs that make a true Consultant. Leave the rest for the expert to plan the rest for you.

Wishing you happy travelling for 2011 and with the right travel consultant 🙂